1
as in seduces
to lead away from a usual or proper course by offering some pleasure or advantage
that chocolate dessert sure tempts me, but I should stick with my diet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in risks
to take a chance on
refusing to lay in enough food for the long winter tempts the dangers of starvation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tempts
If a hobby upgrade tempts you, open a spreadsheet to compare options before opening your wallet!
—
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Which horizon tempts your curious steps now?
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
November 22 – December 21 Which horizon tempts your curious steps now?
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
An untrustworthy future tempts us to either disengage, retreat into cynicism, or live angry.
—Phillip Halpern, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
In Indiana, Paoli Peaks features the Arctic Blast Tubing Park, and Perfect North Slopes tempts with 25 tubing lanes (as well as skiing and snowboarding).
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026
This year’s offer tempts travelers with fares starting at just $199, up to $1,000 in onboard credit to elevate every moment spent at sea, and select sailings where children sail free.
—Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Dec. 2025
Unwind Along the Coast Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa, tempts with spice tours, rooftop cocktails, and sunset dhow sails.
—Karin Jones, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2025
The device contains, among other things, doorways to other dimensions, including one that tempts Peacemaker with a seemingly storybook version of his broken family.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2026
Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Which horizon tempts your curious steps now?
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
November 22 – December 21 Which horizon tempts your curious steps now?
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
An untrustworthy future tempts us to either disengage, retreat into cynicism, or live angry.
—Phillip Halpern, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
In Indiana, Paoli Peaks features the Arctic Blast Tubing Park, and Perfect North Slopes tempts with 25 tubing lanes (as well as skiing and snowboarding).
—Ginger Crichton, Midwest Living, 9 Jan. 2026
This year’s offer tempts travelers with fares starting at just $199, up to $1,000 in onboard credit to elevate every moment spent at sea, and select sailings where children sail free.
—Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Dec. 2025
Unwind Along the Coast Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa, tempts with spice tours, rooftop cocktails, and sunset dhow sails.
—Karin Jones, Travel + Leisure, 4 Sep. 2025
The device contains, among other things, doorways to other dimensions, including one that tempts Peacemaker with a seemingly storybook version of his broken family.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tempts
Verb
-
Intrigued, the Duke secretly seduces Gilda, breaks her heart and destroys Rigoletto’s life.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The victim of his sacrifice is Gretchen, a virgin whom Faust seduces and abandons in his devilish reverie, and who kills their illegitimate child.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
As such, the bill risks further making college sports transparency in the Volunteer State an increasingly voluntary proposition.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Seeing those two stalwarts move on next year at the latest was likely always to have been the plan at Anfield, but generating savings sooner has taken on greater importance as something else risks unfolding.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Loot boxes in the crosshairs James alleges Valve entices players to pay for a chance to win a rare virtual item, and that those rare items can be traded for real money in accordance with their rarity.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Your starter entices with a spicy-tangy flavor, leading into the classic roasted chicken entree.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
After The Boss exits, New Art confronts Curator, questioning the promise of visibility and a newfound purpose.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
-
One of the biggest comes late, when their son Billy (Joel Ochoa) confronts his father.—
Steven Winn,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Kociba and other team leaders, including executive chief engineer Tony Roma, flaunted the Grand Sport’s carnivorous roar at Spring Mountain Motor Resort in Nevada, where roughly 10 miles of desert track lures approximately 4,500 Corvette owners each year for performance-driving instruction.—
Lawrence Ulrich,
Robb Report,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Just around the corner, the hotel’s compact fitness centre lures even the least fitness-enthusiastic guests, thanks to knockout treadmill views extending to the bay.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The confidence heuristic explains why certainty persuades us.—
Nick Dothée,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
-
But then a mysterious Romany woman (Rebecca Ferguson) turns up, and persuades him to return to Birmingham, in order to bring his violent illegitimate son (Barry Keoghan) – who now runs his Peaky Blinders mob – to heel.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After Sugar betrays her, Barbara cuts her friend off for decades, despite missing her deeply.—
Isle McElroy,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
-
But even this was a poor comparison for sumo’s place in the racial politics of Japan today; boxing, after all, was brought to America from England, while sumo, like Kabuki, is one of Japan’s few expressive institutions whose folklore betrays little trace of outside influence.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tempts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tempts. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
